Abstract: Objective To study if ellagic acid has preventing abilities on human epidermal melanocyte melanogenesis and melanin transfer in different concentration. Methods Our present investigated ellagic acid on, employing monolayer cultures of human melanocytes and co-cultures of human melanocytes and keratinocytes, melanogenesis and melanin transfer by Flow Cytometer technique. Results: Ellagic acid suppressed melanin synthesis and tyrosinase activity in a dose-dependent manner. Melanin transfer was also inhibited by ellagic acid in a dose-dependence manner. Conclusion: Ellagic acid may be useful for skin-whitening cosmetic and the depigmenting effect of ellagic acid might be due to its down-regulation of melanogenesis and melanin transfer.

Key words: ellagic acid, melanosome transfer, tyrosinase